How to Intercede for Influential Men.01/11/2018

How to Intercede for Influential Men.01/11/2018

This prayer guidance is from that classic appeal for Christians to impact culture “How to Pray for America” from The Rebirth of America, a special 1986 publication by the Arthur S. DeMoss Foundation, edited by Nancy Leigh DeMoss (Wolgemuth). :

HOW TO INTERCEDE FOR INFLUENTIAL MEN — Every day, men of importance make key decisions and shape the course of history: thus, they call for the prayers of Americans…

Dr. Charles Stanley, pastor of a large church in Atlanta, Georgia, has suggested 10 ways to pray for these men who occupy the highest offices in the land:

Pray that they would realize their personal sinfulness and their daily need for cleansing of their sin by Jesus Christ.

Pray that they would recognize their personal inadequacy to fulfill their tasks and that they would depend upon God for knowledge wisdom, and the courage to do what is right.

Pray that they would reject all counsel that violates spiritual principles, trusting God to prove them right.

Pray that they would resist those who would pressure them to violate their conscience.

Pray that they would reverse the trends of socialism and humanism in this nation, both of which deify man rather than God.

Pray that they would be ready to sacrifice their personal ambitions and political careers for the sake of this nation, if yielding them would be in the best interest of their country.

Pray that they would rely upon prayer and the Word of God is the source of their daily strength, wisdom and courage.

Pray that they would restore dignity, honor, trustworthiness, and righteousness to the office they hold.

Pray that they would remember to be good examples in their conduct to the fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters of this nation.

Pray that they would be reminded daily that they are accountable to Almighty God for the decisions they make.

A PRAYER FOR OUR LEADERS

HEAVENLY FATHER, I thank you for our country, our Constitution, and our leaders. I pray for our President, and for every elected and appointed official who serves with him. I pray that you will build a spiritual wall of protection around the marriage family of every national, state and local official. I pray that You will give them the wisdom of the courage to uphold our Constitution which established a republic based on Your absolute laws not a democracy based on the changing when man’s reasoning. I pray that You will rebuke Satan for the deception of his lie that we can be “as gods” in deciding for ourselves what is right and what is wrong.

Oh Lord, may our leaders cast down every law, policy, and personal example that weakens marriage, family, or your moral standards. May our leaders understand and follow the principles of Your Work. Realizing that all authority comes from You, not the voters, and that one day they will stand before you to give an account of the power you gave to them.

I base this prayer on the promise of Your Word, that if I will humble myself, pray, seek your face, and turn from my wicked ways, then you will hear from heaven, forgive my sin, and heal my land. In the name and through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray, AMEN.

Ending the Scourge of Abortion in America — Monday, January 22nd, will mark the 45th anniversary of Roe v Wade. This year, the annual March for Life will take place on Friday, January 19th. Many other pro-life and pro-abortion activist activities will take place next week; some groups will literally celebrate Roe v. Wade while others will mourn the ruling and reaffirm their commitment to pray and work until America is abortion-free, no matter how long it takes. Scripture teaches that God sent a flood to destroy the entire world, saving only Noah and his family, because of the violence that so proliferated on the world at that time. After the flood, God made a covenant with Noah and established His law regarding the sanctity of life, declaring that any person who takes the life of another person should be put to death (Gen 9:3-7). God reaffirmed that law in the Ten Commandments and its elaboration in the larger Mosaic law (Dt 5:7). In the New Testament, we learn that government was ordained by God to restrain evil and execute justice. He called for the use capital punishment to execute evildoers. For the government that executed justice, Scripture says, believers are to faithfully pay their taxes (Rom 13:1-6). Respect for human life is an unbending requirement of Almighty God. Holding firmly to a biblical worldview of life, our Founders established in the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: “No person shall…be deprived of life… without due process of law.” After the civil war, Americans ratified the 14th Amendment reaffirming the sanctity of all men’s lives. Yet in 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court upended the Constitution and Bill of Rights, declaring preborn babies to be non-persons without constitutional rights.

There are many horrendous crimes, but few, by biblical standards, worse than taking the life of an innocent human baby. God warns us “not to afflict the fatherless” (Ex 22:22) and promises to administer justice on their behalf, “He takes up the cause of the fatherless” (Dt 10:18), and says “Cursed is the one who perverts the justice due… the fatherless…” (Dt 27:19). Jesus said, “Suffer the little children to come unto me…” (Lk 18:16) and warned “whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea” (Mt 18:6). Yes, mercy, grace and forgiveness are available through the gospel of Jesus Christ, yet the Scriptures are clear. That God’s wrath has been withheld from an unrepentant America for 45 years, is a marvel and a wonder. There is a remnant of God’s people standing in the gap, offering their prayers, labors, and advocacy for life in public policy, as well as helping women in unplanned pregnancies by offering practical help and adoption, and in many cases fervent prayer (Is 59: all, esp. v 16).

We must not test God, rather, we must seek His face, prevail in prayer, and win the war for life.

And we are winning! Despite the insidious government funding of Planned Parenthood and the plan hatched to involve unwilling taxpayers in subsidized abortion via Obamacare, the number of abortions in America is declining. Due to the tireless efforts and influence of the pro-life movement, 272 Planned Parenthood Centers have closed in America during the last seven years. There are about 4,000 pregnancy care centers in the U.S., including 3,000 between just two Christian umbrella groups: CareNet and Heartbeat. These centers are loving women, saving babies, and sharing the gospel. They far outnumber abortion clinics. The movement’s success became especially evident during the Obama years when 334 pro-life bills passed in legislatures in the five years prior to July 2016.

May every pro-life observance this January serve to amplify Your call to pray and “deliver them that are drawn unto death.” Enable our president to appoint and the U.S. Senate to confirm one or more pro-life Justices to the Supreme Court. May the House and Senate act! Grant that our eyes may see the end of Roe v. Wade and abortion in America, not just in our lifetimes, but soon! (Ps 18:6; 34:17; 107:19; Pr 24:11-12;Lam 2:19; Mt 2:18)

Tuesday, January 16th is nationally recognized as Religious Freedom Day, commemorating the passage of Thomas Jefferson’s landmark Statute for Religious Freedom, which was shepherded by James Madison through the Virginia Assembly, as well as George Mason’s Virginia Declaration of Rights in 1776. These laid the foundation for the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which enshrines in law the freedom of religion for all Americans, and the freedom to believe and live according to those beliefs. As always, thank you for praying!